Vending-machine.



C. V. MARTIN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 15, 1914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Atto rn eys C. V. MARTIN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. I914.

1,152,538. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H W mu a Inventor Attorneys COMMODORE Vi MABTINLOF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ENOGH BUCKLES AND THREE-EIGHTHS TO ALBERT J. EDWARDS APoLIs, INDIANA.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.lPfatented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed May15, 1914. Serial no. 838,7 60.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, COMMODORE V. MAR- TIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Vending-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines especially designed for vending packages of chewing gum although the same can be used for dispensing other articles.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide coin controlled ejecting mechanism which is simple in construction, formed of but few parts, and is dependent upon the depositing of a proper coin for coupling the actuating plunger to the ejecting element.

A further object is to provide improved means for directing a coin to the operating mechanism.

Another object is to provide a machine of this type which is compact in construction, and will not readily get out of order.

IVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the'combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. s I

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical section taken from the front to the back of a portion of a vending machine and showing the present improvements partly in section and partly in elevation, said section being on the line AB Fig. 8. Fig. 2 is a section on line (1-D Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a. section on line E+-F Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa bottom plan view of the base plate and the mechanism constituting the present invention, the casing of the vending machine being shown in section.

Referring to the figures by characters 0 reference 1 designates the housing or casing of a vending machine, the same being of the usual or any preferred contour and holder. 2 in which one or more stacks of merchandise, such as stacks of chewing gum, are held, the holder 2 being so mounted as to overhang the rear portion of a base plate 3. This base plate is spaced from the lowerend of the holder 2 a distance slightly greater. than the thickness of a package to be dispensed and an opening l is provided back of the plate 3 and directly over the receiving end of a chute 5, said opening being of suflicient size to receive a package after the same has been ejected from the holder 2. a

The casing 1 is provided with the usual coin receiving openings 6 and arranged under each of these openings, in the present.

instance, is a coin tube 7. These tubes converge downwardly and are angular in cross sectional contour, the transverse areas of the tubes diminishing downwardly and said tubes merging at their lower ends, into downwardly diverging coin chutes 8 which are fiat and are provided, in their bottoms, with openings 9 leaving narrow supporting flanges 10 along the sides of the openings. Thus it will be seen thata coin of proper size when deposited in either tube 7 will gravitate into the coin chute 8 and its edge will ride along the flanges so that the coin will be prevented from falling through the opening 9. I-Iowever,should a coin or check of a smaller diameter be inserted into the slot 6., it will not be supported by the flanges 10 but will fall through the opening 9 and into the space between the chutes 8. A discharge opening 11 is formed in the base plate 3 and guide plates 12 are inclined downwardly to this opening so .asto direct into the opening any coins or checks which may gravitate through the openings 9. Guide flanges 13 extend upwardly along the front and back edges of the plates 12 so as to prevent the coins or checks from falling laterally off of the guide plates 12 while being directed into the opening 11.

Each of the coin chutes 8 discharges into a hood 14 of such transverse area-as to allow a coint to lie fiat upon the base plate 3. The front and back walls of each hood are spaced from the base plate. a

, BOTH OF INDIAN- Openings 15 are provided in the front of thecasing 1 and in each ofthese openings is slidably mounted a flat plunger 16 the rearend :of which extends under the front being provided, .in its back portion, witha.

wall of the adjacent hood l4 and extends throughout the width of the interior of the hood, this hood as well as the walls of the opening '15, thus serving to guide the plunger during its sliding movement.

Formed in the base plate 3 directly back of each hood 14: is an opening 17 sufliciently large to permit acoin to fall therethrough. Each opening is normally closed by an ejector 18 in the form of aplate or the like which is slidably mounted on the base 3 and is adapted to move under the holder 2 and u up to the rear edge of the plate 3, the length of theejector 18 being substantially equal to the distancebetween'the' opening 17 and the rear edge of the base 3.

Formed in the base 3 under the plunger 16 is a longitudinal slot 19 and another longitudinal slot 20 is formed in the-base 3 back of the opening 17 and under the ejector 18. A connecting plate 21 is arranged under the base 3 and is secured to the ejector 18 by'means of screws 22 or the like 7 which slide within the slot 20. This connecting plate 21 has an'opening 23 adapted,

ing plate 21 and slidably mounted within.

this slot is a stud 25 or the like extending downwardly from plunger 16 and slidable within the slot 19. I 1 Assuming that the ejector 18 is in its 7 normal position-between the holder 2- and Copies ef this patent may be obtained foi the hood 14', it will be obvious that the lower package of the stack in the holder 2 will rest upon the plate 3 and directly in the path of the ejector 18. This package has" been shown at X. If the plunger 16 is projected into'the hood 1 1 cooperating therewith, a coin, when deposited in the tube 7, will be guided into said hood and will rest upon the plunger. If, however, the plunger 16 should be'pulled outwardly, the coin resting on the plunger will becaused to fall onto the plate 3 between said plunger and-the ejector-18. Thus when the plunger is pushed inwardly it will push against the a coin and cause said coin to force the ejector 18 backwardly against the lowermost packageX. Said package will be forced from under its stack and will fall through the opening 4 and into the chute 5; At the same time the coin will be brought to position over the opening 17 and will fall into a coin box 26 supported under the plate 3. It will be under'stood'that'when the ejector is pushed rearwardly' by the plunger and coin, it 'will pull, through the screws 22, upon the connecting plate 21 and thus bring the opening 23 in said plate under the opening 17 so that the coin can drop freelyinto the coin box. When the plunger 16 is pulled forwardly after a package has been dispensed in the manner described, the stud 25 will engage the front wall of the slot 24 in the connecting plate 21 and pull said connecting plate forwardly, thus returning the ejector to its normal position illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus the machine will be reset for further use. Obviously the plunger 16 can be worked back and forth without operating the ejector unless a coin of proper denomination is deposited in the hood 1 1 in the manner herelnbefore described. As before pointed out, improper coins or slugs, when supplied to the coin chute 8, will drop into the opening 11 and will thus fall into the box 26.

In the structure illustrated, two coin chutes have been used and two sets of ejecting mechanisms are illustrated. It is to be understood that, in practice, a machine can be made with one or more sets of ejecting mechanism such as herein described.

It will be obvious of course that one stack of merchandise is to be used in connection with each ejector 18.

' It is to be understood that the holder 2 can be provided, at its lower end, with an adjustable slide 26 to permit the ejection of an article or package of any size or of two or more packages or articles at one operation of the ejector.

What is claimed is In a vending machine, a base plate having a discharge opening, coin receiving hoods upon the plate adjacent opposite sides of the opening, upwardly converging coin chutes extending from the hoods and overhanging the discharge opening, each of said chutes having an outlet opening in the bottom thereof for the escape of improper coins, a stack holder back of each hood, each stack holder having an outlet at the back thereof, an ejector slidably mounted on the base plate and normally positioned between each hood and the stack holder in rear thereof, a plunger slidably mounted upon the base plate and movable into each hood, the space between the ejector and plunger being adapted to be filled by a deposited coin, thereby to transmit motion from the plunger to the ejector, and means under the base plate for resetting the ejector between the hood and stack holder when the plunger is pulled outwardly from the hood.

In testimony that claim the foregoing as my own,'I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

COMMODORE V. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

O. O. BOYATT, OLARIs ADAMS.

Washington, I). 0. 

